Vow to toughen up community orders

High-tech ankle tags will be used to track offenders and almost all community sentences will include some form of punishment, the Justice Secretary says.

Published: 00:39, Tue, October 23, 2012

Chris Grayling will change the Crime and Courts Bill to bring in satellite tracking of criminals [PA]

Chris Grayling will change the Crime and Courts Bill to bring in satellite tracking of criminals and to toughen up community orders.

But when the plans were originally announced by Mr Grayling's predecessor Ken Clarke, even the Ministry of Justice's (MoJ) impact assessment warned the move could increase reoffending if the new punitive element forces out rehabilitation requirements.

"This is about sending a clear message to offenders and the public that you if commit a crime, you can expect to be punished properly. Community sentences are not a soft option any more."

But the MoJ impact assessment warned in March: "For offenders who receive intensive community punishment, there is a risk that re-offending rates may be higher than other community orders if some of the rehabilitative requirements are replaced."

Satellite tracking will also be brought in and a £5,000 cap on fines set by magistrates will be removed to "make community sentences much more effective", Mr Grayling said.

"We will use the latest GPS technology to track offenders' movements, and are giving the courts increased powers to set fines that hit offenders in their pockets and are lifting the cap on compensation orders to provide proper compensation to victims."

The new measures will mean more offenders could be forced to clean up graffiti, clear litter and help to rejuvenate their communities, the MoJ said.

Only two-thirds of community orders currently contain a punitive requirement, but this will rise "significantly to almost all adult community sentences" under the move, the ministry added.